You know what you are getting when you get a Glob, let me tell you.
Also see: Stop & Shop's Scabs
Around New England: In the Aisle at the Stop & Shop
Yeah, I guess the SIZE of the SUPERMARKET determines the coverage selections.
"Stop & Shop unions issue strike notice; 24-hour deadline will expire today" by Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | March 5, 2010
Union leaders involved in contract talks with Quincy-based Stop & Shop have issued 24-hour notices to end the current contract, which could trigger a strike if an agreement isn’t reached by noon today.
The main points of contention, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 - one of five locals involved in the negotiations - are higher health insurance contributions and a lack of wage increases.
While the global conglomerate controlled by the Dutch rakes in BILLIONS!
The company also wants to reduce the pension for new full-time workers and reduce holidays for new part timers.
Did they also want a pint of blood?
The labor contract covering 36,000 meat cutters, cashiers, and other supermarket workers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut expired last month. Negotiations started in early January.
If the workers strike, Stop & Shop plans to bring in temporary replacement workers to keep its 240 stores in the three states open. As part of a strike contingency plan, Stop & Shop began placing help-wanted ads in newspapers last month.
I'm $ure that colored the view of the agenda-pushing, money-lo$ing new$paper, if you know what I mean.
I can hear them in the newsroom: "Strike, strike, strike!"
“Our members are frustrated because Stop & Shop’s profits have increased,’’ said Local 1445 spokesman Jim Carvalho. “They represent the largest market share for all the supermarkets in New England, and our members are disappointed by Stop & Shop’s negative approach toward these negotiations. They don’t want to strike, but they feel Stop & Shop is forcing them into that position.’’
Stop & Shop is owned by Ahold USA. In its last earnings release, the company reported that net sales at Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover had increased 10.5 percent to $4.4 billion.
In a quarter or.... !!!?
Talk about screwing the hard-working scrubs over at the Stop & Shop.
No wonder no one is ever smiling over there.
Stop & Shop spokeswoman Faith Weiner said the company is negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement.
So business leaders are just a big a liars as the politicians, newspapers, and military men, 'eh? No wonder they are all friends.
“We are exchanging proposals and working to narrow the gap on open issues,’’ she said. “Progress continues to be made.’’
Makes it sound like Iraq or Afghanistan.
Yup, progress is being made.
Globe keeps you updated every day:
"Stop & Shop union plans for vote tomorrow" by Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | March 6, 2010
Union leaders involved in contract negotiations with Quincy-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. expect to have a company offer to present to members for a vote tomorrow. The final offer was still being hammered out yesterday, and talks may continue into the weekend if an agreement isn’t reached.
On Thursday, union officials issued 24-hour notices that could have triggered a strike if an agreement wasn’t reached by noon yesterday. Now, officials say there will be no job action before a vote on the new offer is taken tomorrow. The main sticking points are wages and health insurance costs, as well as lower retirement benefits and fewer holidays for new hires.
“We’ll have something, no matter what, on Sunday to vote on,’’ said Jim Carvalho, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445, which represents 36,000 employees who work in 240 Stop & Shop supermarkets in southern New England.
In a statement, Stop & Shop spokeswoman Faith Weiner called the talks “candid and substantive.’’Okay.
--more--"
I'll wait to see what the good union has to say.
See: The Massachusetts Model: Municipal Health Mess
Yeah, not that crud.
"Stop & Shop union to vote on pact today
After three months of negotiations, union members will vote this morning on a tentative contract with Quincy-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. Jim Carvalho, a spokesman for Local 1445 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, said he expects a full house when members meet at 8 a.m. at Lombardo’s, a function hall in Randolph. Local 1445 represents 36,000 employees at 240 Stop & Shop supermarkets in southern New England. The main sticking points in talks have been wages and health insurance costs, as well as lower retirement benefits and fewer holidays for new hires. Stop & Shop issued a statement saying the agreement offers “our associates very competitive wage packages and retirement benefits as well as access to quality, affordable healthcare.’’
I'll let the union membership be the judge.
--more--"
And here it is:
"Stop & Shop strike averted; Methuen workers reject Shaw’s offer" by Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | March 8, 2010
Grocery workers approved new contracts yesterday with Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., ending months of tense negotiations and averting a threatened strike.
If they are satisfied with it and voted it through, so am I.
A day after reaching a tentative agreement with the supermarket chain, five unions representing employees in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island ratified three-year deals that will boost wages and preserve benefits, according to a spokesman for the regional chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers.
“Through the hard work of negotiators, we were able to reach an agreement that maintained our great health and pension benefits and provided general wage increases,’’ said Jim Carvalho, a spokesman for UFCW Local 1445, which represents 36,000 Stop & Shop employees in southern New England.
You know, why did management have to be such dicks?
They cleared BILLIONS!!!!
They couldn't toss some chump change at the slaves? They really have to have as much as they can get, huh?
They are the sick ones.
A majority of union members ratified the deal by secret ballot after an intense two-hour meeting at a Randolph function hall, Carvalho said. Most were extremely relieved the dispute had been settled, he said.
“Obviously, it’s a big load off our shoulders,’’ he said.... Negotiations had centered on the lack of wage increases and the rising health insurance contributions, according to the union.
The union said the company had sought unsuccessfully to reduce pensions for new full-time workers and reduce the number of holidays for new part-timers.
In a statement issued after the ratification votes, Stop & Shop said it was pleased with the new accords, which the company described as fair.
They did seem happier this week past week.
“Our goal during the negotiations was to reach fair agreements that will allow us to continue to provide good jobs to our associates and serve our customers for many years to come,’’ the company stated. “We are pleased to have met this goal with these ratified agreements.
Well, let's not get carried away here.
Slaving over a slicer, stocking the aisles, working the docks, bagging groceries, or running a scanner ain't that great and the pay is not like a banksters or anything -- if you can even get it.
“We thank our customers and our associates for their patience and understanding during the negotiating period and look forward to continuing to offer them great value and a great shopping experience.’’
Well, the EMPLOYEES certainly acted as if NOTHING WA$ UP, so $HOULDN'T THEY BE REWARDED for that?
On Saturday, the company said the agreement offered “very competitive wage packages and retirement benefits as well as access to quality, affordable health care.’’
The agreement is retroactive to Feb. 20, when the previous contract expired.
The Quincy-based company runs more than 350 supermarkets in New England, New York, and New Jersey. It is owned by
In its last earnings release, the company reported that net sales at Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover had increased 10.5 percent to $4.4 billion.
I think they can afford wage, health benefit, and pension increases without the holiday cutbacks, don't you?
Why the stinginess?
The company said in negotiations that its compensation packages are appreciably more generous than its industry competitors.
Did they pat themselves on the back at the same time? Pffft!
Customers, too, were relieved a strike had been avoided.
“I am glad they found some kind of resolution. I was going to start going to Shaw’s if they went on strike,’’ said Paul Simmons, 56, from Dorchester, as he loaded groceries into his car yesterday afternoon at South Bay Center. “These people work really hard and people keep trying to take everything from them’’
That's why it is low-pay.
Ever notice the harder and s***tier the actual job the lower the pay?
Elites have set it up real good, huh?
Take your tax loot for themselves and then take all the business profits, too!
Oh, yeah, and you may not get into Shaw's:
Meanwhile, unionized workers at the Shaw’s Supermarkets distribution center in Methuen went on strike after overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s contract offer yesterday morning.
Workers said the contract would have raised health care contributions, eliminated their pension for a 401(k) retirement plan, and provided only mimimal wage increases.
“The members were basically insulted, to say the least,’’ said Peter Derouen, a spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, which represents 309 workers at the Methuen facility.
Not surprised at all.
This is 21st-century AmeriKa after all, where the CORPORATIONS and the BUCK rule!!!
Shaw’s said it “worked hard’’ to try to avoid a strike and is developing a contingency plan to keep the strike from affecting shoppers, according to a statement to NECN-TV....
Yeah, sure they did.
And the Globe reporter is just WATCHING TV, huh?
That is the "REPORTING?"
Oh, I guess they got out there the next day because it was a feature on the front page of the business section.
"Shaw’s workers spread out protest; Union takes picket to local grocery stores" by Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 9, 2010
Shaw’s Supermarket workers yesterday fanned out their protest to local grocery stores, a day after employees at a Methuen distribution center went on strike following the rejection of a final contract offer....
--more--"So how long were they out there until the Globe looked back in on them?
"Shaw’s Supermarket workers still on strike" by Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 20, 2010
Shaw’s Supermarket workers approached their second week on strike yesterday, with protests at 16 locations across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
They are not that much smaller, Glob.
What gives? Reporters know someone down at the Stop & Shop?
Shaw's sell the Globe some bad food once?
Yeah, busting another union isn't really "news" anymore, is it, American (those that are left -- public employees 'cepted, 'course!)?
Employees at a Methuen distribution center went on strike on March 7 following the rejection of a final contract offer. Peter Derouen, a spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, said yesterday that the union had not heard from Shaw’s about returning to the table to negotiate a new agreement.
You bending yet?
“We’re holding strong and would like the situation to end. But we need the company to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract and not shove an unfair contract down our throats,’’ Derouen said.
Translation: Management is holding the money and the cards; otherwise, they would have done what Stop & Shop did!
I would like to think my previous comments helped, but who knows?
Judy Chong, a Shaw’s spokeswoman, said the supermarket chain did not refuse to meet, and added, “The union has an offer on the table that increases wages for the already generous wages for all the Methuen distribution associates.’’
I'll take that under advisement if you don't mind liar, 'er, lady.
